58 "ALBATROSS" EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



pedestals upon wliicli they once stood. Tlie plain in the rear of the plat- 

 form is crowded with stone houses, most of which are in ruins, and in the rear 

 of the platform towards Rana Roroka the ground is one huge burying-place. 



The eastern slope of Rana Kao is covered with fragments of obsidian. 

 This is found at Mount Orito, a short distance to the east of Mataveri 

 (PI. 13). The red tufa of wliich the crowns of the images are cut is 

 obtained from Mt. Teraai (PI. 13) to the east of tlie Mis.siou. 



The fallen images once standing on the face of the great Tongariki plat- 

 form are shown on Plate 29. One of the images is still left standing upon 

 the lower part of its base, on the right of the Plate. These images are all 

 broken or badly damaged. Large pieces of the red tufa crowns, more or less 

 broken, are to be found among the mass of rubbish to the rear of the plat- 

 form (PI. 29). Two of them can be seen in the right of Plate 29 and one 

 on the very left of the plate. Tlie little islet of Marotiri to the west of 

 Point Anataavanui (PL 13) is seen standing out beyond that promontory 

 (PI. 29.) Plate 30 sliows the western extremity of the Tongariki platform, 

 seen from the sea, with the base of one of the images still standing (PI. 30, 

 fig. i). The whole of the sea face of that part of the platform is built up 

 of Cyclopean stones fairly fitted together ; Plate 30, fig. 2, shows the greater 

 part of the' platform from the western end towards the eastern extremity. 



On Plate 41 are seen fragments of the images found on our way between 

 La Perouse Bay and Rana Eoroka, about half-way between the two locali- 

 ties, on the plain to the south of La Perouse Bay. A short distance from the 

 point where the fragments on Plate 41 were photographed, we found a very 

 large broken image, with a comparatively short head, which must have been 

 nearly forty feet in length (PI. 42, fig. 2)- Another large image, broken in 

 three pieces, was lying at the foot of Rana Roroka, near the southwest corner 

 of the outer- slope of the crater. Many other fragments of images of all 

 sizes and states of preservation could be seen scattered on the plain to the 

 west of Rana Roroka, as far as the eye could reach (PI. 31). At the foot of 

 the western face of the crater (PI. 31) are seen a few images still standing, 

 buried nearly to the chin ; others have fallen over, and other broken ones are 

 seen in the distance. 



I have given views of the most characteristic and best preserved platforms 

 found in the vicinity of La Perouse Bay (Pis. 27, 28). They are not in as good 

 a condition as that of Tongariki, but show the same essential features as do 

 all the platforms in whatever part of the shore line they are found. The 



